


The Death of a Bachelor

by teresa_the_traitor



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, idk - Freeform, idk what to put here its my first work, katniss and gales families arent in it except at the start, ok, written like a novel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-12-17 13:30:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21055214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teresa_the_traitor/pseuds/teresa_the_traitor
Summary: We all know the story. Katniss steps in for her little sister, Prim, whose been chosen for the Hunger Games. Peeta Mellark, the boy whose had a crush on Katniss since they were little kids, is also, coincidentally, chosen. But what would happen if someone else was chosen? and what if that someone was Gale Hawthorne?NOTE: updates will NOT be frequent. or scheduled.





	1. Chapter 1

Today is the day. I can feel the dread that I feel exactly once a year, every year since I was 12. And, whatever happens today, this is the last year of feeling this dread for myself. I still have my siblings, Vick, Rory and Posy, and Vick and Posy still aren’t old enough to go into the reaping. I still have another 8 years of feeling that dread.

  
I stand up, quiet so as not to wake my family. I slip on my hunting jacket, boots, and gloves, as its cold this early in the morning. I judge it to be about 4:30 am. I leap downstairs, grab my game bag, and slip out the door. As I near the fence, I stop, listening for the hum that signals the flow of electricity through the deadly coils of metal. There is none, so I grab a loose wire and lift. It yields easily, and I wriggle underneath.

  
I walk down to a large pine about 15 metres from the edge of the forest, probably 25 metres from the fence. I reach into a hole at the base of the tree, and pull out a bow, a quiver of arrows, a coil of thin wire, a knife and a first aid kit. The kit is really quite small, just a couple of swabs and some clips wrapped in bandages. We got them from Katniss’ mother. She’s the Healer of the town.

  
I step about ten metres into the forest and take down about three squirrels all in one go. A gaggle of geese flap past and I shoot two before they know what’s hit them. I decide to go into town to see what I can trade before I meet up with Katniss. I make my way back out of the forest, my game bag considerably heavier. I decide to go to the bakers’ shop first.

  
I walk up to the back door and tap twice, pause, and then knock twice again. That’s the code the baker and I worked out so that he could trade without his wife knowing. His wife isn’t the nicest towards us Seam kids, but the baker says that our squirrels are just as good as anything Rooba, the butcher, could make up. I secretly agree, as most of Rooba’s stock is game Katniss and I shoot anyway, but the baker isn’t one to know that. The baker quietly opens the door, and sees what I have. When he sees the three squirrels, he makes his way towards the front of the shop, tiptoeing so as not to wake his wife. He comes back with a still steaming loaf of bread. He must have woken early to let his children sleep in before today. Best to get some sleep today. If you can.

  
He only wants one squirrel, and I don’t object. I’m planning on shooting more game for tonight’s dinner before I meet Katniss, but the more food, the better. I just hope it isn’t a hollow day. It won’t matter if we have extra dinner if it is. I walk to the spot Katniss and I meet up at most often, as I know that’s where she’ll be. It’s a ledge under a rock surrounded by bushes, but it has a spectacular view. We can see the mountain range from here, stretching across Panem. I learnt in school that, before Panem, our country was a continent called North America, and these mountains were called the Appalachian Mountains.

  
As I wait for Katniss, I decide to put an arrow through the bread, as a joke. I pick some blackberries from the surrounding bushes, and munch on them as I watch an eagle soar overhead. I hear light footsteps approaching, and I look around to see Katniss standing in front of me. I hold up the bread with the arrow still inside. “Look what I shot,” I joke. Katniss laughs, and I see her beautiful smile. She rarely smiles, unless she’s out here in the woods with me. That’s when I see her true self. And it’s beautiful.  
I hand over the bread and she takes out the arrow, sniffing through the puncture in the crust it made.

  
“How much for this?” she asks. I reply that it was only a squirrel in trade with the baker, and how he wouldn’t accept the other two.

  
“He must have felt sorry for us,” I tell her. All the seam kids have their name entered extra times, except those that older siblings won’t let the babies take the tessera. In the reaping system, you can enter your name in extra times, in return for a ration of oil and grain, enough for one person for a year. My name’s entered in 47 times this year. Katniss’ is only in 20 times, but she won’t let Prim take any tesserae for herself, so Katniss has her name entered four times a year. My name’s entered six times every year.

  
We sit for a while, eating the bread spread with goat’s cheese from Prim’s goat, Lady, and basil leaves on top, which the cheese was wrapped in. We talk and joke, mimicking Effie Trinket’s Capitol accent. We can only joke about this, because the alternative is to be scared out of our wits. After that, we go hunting, and get a good dozen rabbits, a couple more squirrels and geese, and Katniss shoots a rat. I don’t know what we’ll do with that. Probably just give it to Greasy Sae for her soups. We pick about two dozen strawberries from a wild patch, and we get some fish and roots from a pond. When it gets to around midday, we go back to town to get ready for the reaping.

  
Before we go home, we trade around with our game. We trade the strawberries with the mayor’s daughter. Madge looks beautiful, and I say so, but a hint of hostility creeps into my voice.

  
“Well, if I’m going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don’t I?” We all know that she’s not going to be chosen; she’s the mayor’s daughter! But I still manage to get worked up over this little conversation. Madge and Katniss wish each other luck, and I retain my frown.

  
As we walk off to the hob, Katniss tells me to lighten up. I try to, but I keep wallowing in the unfairness of it all. We trade the most of our game with people in the hob, and town merchants. We keep the rest for ourselves. When I walk in through the door of my house, I see my mother standing there with my father’s best shirt and pants. My father was blown to bits in the same mine explosion that killed Katniss’ father. We are the fatherless friends.

  
I wash myself in the same cold water that Rory has bathed in, and then dress in the clothes my mother picked for me. This is my last reaping either way this goes, so I’ve got to look my best. For the cameras.

  
My mother walks me and my siblings out of the door, through the Seam crowded with kids and parents, and into the square. Rory and I walk up to a table with a woman sitting behind it. She takes Rory’s hand and takes out a needle. Rory hyperventilates, and I tell him that it’s just a blood test. This seems to calm him down a little, but he still tenses up when the needle jabs into his forearm. The woman tells him where to stand in the roped off area, and I watch him walk off, legs trembling. Now it’s my turn. I hand over my arm and I barely feel the jab after years of hunting scars. I walk off to the designated area and stand up straight, eyeing off the cameras and looking for Katniss, looking for Prim. I finally spot the latter, in the front row, shaking like a leaf. Then I spot Katniss. She’s looking right at me, and I give her a smile. She doesn’t return it, out of nervousness. I turn around and look at the stage, where Effie Trinket has just appeared.

  
She wears a big, poofy, bright pink wig that keeps slipping over her eyes. She greets us with her annual “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odd be ever in your favour,” and then looks at the big screen behind, waiting for the propaganda video to play. It explains about the Dark Days, and how the Hunger Games were formed. It’s getting quite boring, six years later. But I see a camera trained on me, so I smile, to make it look like I’m enjoying the show. Needless to say, I’m not.

  
Effie starts to walk towards the girls’ reaping ball. She pulls out a name. I’m hoping against hope that it’s not Katniss. And it’s not. The name she calls isn’t Katniss’.

  
It’s Primrose Everdeen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the characterisation in this chapter is rubbish, they're both softies.
> 
> also I probably wont post the next few chapters for another couple of days. but they're coming.

Katniss is halfway out of her row even before Prim has started to walk up to the stage. But when she does start to walk up, Katniss is already holding her back. She’s volunteering. I can’t accept this. My mind is rejecting it. I can’t lose her. I can’t lose Katniss. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. The next name called is one I know at the back of my brain, Peeta Mellark, but I can’t place it. Before I know it, I’m volunteering myself, walking up to the stage, I need to protect her. Protect Katniss. I realise now that Peeta Mellark is the baker’s son. I need to protect her. I can’t have some boy with bread running around trying to kill her. I can’t. 

Katniss and I are up on stage, and she looks scared, confused, worried, upset. We shake hands, and I feel the sweat on her palm as she grips my also sweating hand. We grip to each other, knowing that only one can get home. It must be her. It must be. I won’t be able to live if it’s me. Before I know it, we are being escorted into the luxurious Justice Building, but I barely notice its magnificence. I am pushed into a room decorated with plush velvet carpet and wooden panelled walls. This waiting is torture enough. I wait, sitting in silence for someone to come get me, talk to me, hug me. I need it. 

My mother walks in with the kids, and I jump up, all of us a tangle of arms, tears, and words as we embrace one another. I tell them to remember to feed themselves, even if it means that Rory has to learn to hunt. When they leave, I pick up Posy, who is smiling through tears. I give her a ginormous hug, and then set her down again. I walk over to my mother. We hug, and I feel her tears on her shoulder. I know it must be painful, losing my father and now me. But I need to protect Katniss. I tell her not to be afraid to go into the Hob, as people will be kind towards her, even give her food and supplies. When they walk out, I sit back down and bury my head in a silken pillow. It is damp by the time the next person walks in. 

It’s the baker. He tells me that he’ll make sure that my family eats, he will give them bread. I ask about Katniss’ family. He says he’ll do the same. Then Greasy Sae walks in, telling me that she’ll do the same, but she’ll make a lot of their meals. I ask her if she could see that Rory learns to hunt. She says she’ll try. She walks out, and a peacekeeper takes her place. I realise that the peacekeeper is Purnia, and I smile at her. She gives me an it’s-nice-to-have-known-you smile. I don’t want people to pity me. Pity is painful. 

Purnia walks me to the back door, where Darius is waiting with Katniss. I smile at him too, and he gives me the same smile that Purnia gave me. We walk out to a car that is waiting, with Effie Trinket standing next to it. Katniss and I both stare at it. We have never even seen a car properly, let alone been in one. Effie looks at us and says “Come on then, we have a very tight schedule!” then hops into the front. Katniss and I glance at each other, then race to get a seat. The ride to the station is bumpy and hot, but the car is luxurious. It has leather seats and wood panels on the doors, along with glass windows. We keep glancing out of them, because it’s strange to see the world going by so quickly. Everything is strange today. 

When we finally end up at the train station, there is a magnificent bullet train waiting. I don’t know how I know the name of it, I must have learnt it in Capitol Studies at school. We walk inside, and look around. It is truly beautiful. I glance at Katniss to catch her reaction. Her mouth is hanging open at the sight. We are in a large dining/living room combination, and there is an afternoon tea laid out for us. Around the main dining table, there are sofas and chairs arranged in a homely manner. 

Katniss starts towards the food, and Effie Trinket tells her to wait until dinner. That’s what I’m planning on doing. We head instead towards the back of the train, where there are at least five bedrooms, complete with bathrooms. Effie directs us each to one, and we go inside. I sit on the warm, comforting blanket on the bed and look around. There is a large shower, big enough to hold three people, with hot water and at least twenty buttons controlling the heat, water flow, and soaps. Next to that is an extravagant basin, with cupboards underneath. Above that is a huge, sparkling mirror. My reflection looks stark and pale in the bright lights from the lamps hanging above my head. 

I find piles of clothes in the cupboards under the sink, and I try some of them on. They are simple, trousers and a polo shirt, but they are so different to what I was wearing at the reaping. The reaping. It all starts coming back, just when I least expected it to. I left my family all alone, with no one to get them food or supplies. I just hope my mother takes my advice. Otherwise, they’re toast. Mm, toast. I can smell it from here. Sure enough, there’s Effie, knocking on my door, announcing dinner. I get up, and walk down the hallway. 

When I arrive, the first thing that hits me is the overwhelming smell. It reminds me of when I went to the Justice Building to receive my Medal of Valour after my father died, and I could smell the meals being cooked in the kitchen. But even this is ten times more magnificent. I sit down, and the next thing that I notice, is Katniss looking at me. I look up, and she cocks her head to the side, questioningly. Her eyes are slightly knowing, and – or am I imagining it? - mad. I think I know why, but I ask her to talk to me after dinner, anyway. 

Then I see the food. 

There are piles of fruit in ice to keep it cold, orange juice, wine, bread, pearly white grain whose name I don’t know, as our tesserae rations cook down into an unattractive brown mush. There is also meat, which I can name a few of as chicken and beef, as well as huge bowls of salad with greens, bits of bread, creamy white sauce, and vegetables. Some of them even have things like pine nuts and blueberries. I have never tasted a blueberry, but I have seen them in the fruit shop in town, too expensive for our family to eat. 

Katniss and I eat the first course in about three minutes flat, and we keep stuffing ourselves with more, even though Effie is reminding us that there is more to come. “Well, at least you two have manners. The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a pair of savages!” She comments. Katniss and I have the same thoughts about this, and we both make a point to eat with our hands for the rest of the meal. The kids last year were from the Seam, with barely anything to ever eat. I bet that manners were the last things on their mind when this was set in front of them. Katniss even wipes her hands and face on the table cloth when we finish, which just infuriates Effie even more. Then Haymitch comes in, throws up, and falls in his own mess. 

“I tripped?” he mumbles as Katniss and I rush over to help him. Effie hops on her pointy shoes around us as we haul Haymitch back to his compartment. 

Katniss manages to make it to his compartment before she disappears, claiming she needs “fresh air”. More like she can’t stand the smell of sick and the prospect of naked bodies when we have to bathe Haymitch. She has never liked ill people, not even coughing. And she hates naked people. She can’t stand them. I know from when I have been at their house, and a victim from a mine explosion has been brought to Mrs Everdeen. I don’t really like it either, so we clear out fast enough and go hunting. I call one of the Capitol attendants to help, as I can’t face this on my own. We strip him down and bathe him. I then leave, asking the Capitol person to finish, as Haymitch doesn’t seem to realise we’re helping him, and he’s started slashing through the air with his hands. I feel bad for leaving the Capitol man by himself, so I ask another one to help him. Then I leave via the hallway. 

I go down to Katniss’ room and knock, I hear her voice. “I’m not ready for a lecture Effie, I’m sorry,” she shouts. It takes me a moment to realise why she would say that, and then I realise she’s talking about dinner. 

I yell back “It’s just me, can I come in?” and she opens the door. She looks like she’s been crying. I walk in and she hugs me, silent tears falling down her face. She only says one word. 

“Why?” 

“I couldn’t leave you to defend yourself. I need to protect you. I can’t lose you. Not after all we’ve been through,” and suddenly the tears are flowing down my face and we are both a crying mess. I don’t say anything else, and neither does Katniss. Then Effie knocks on the door, telling us – or more specifically Katniss – to get ready for bed, which is in half an hour. 

I stand to leave and Katniss falls on the bed. When I start to turn the door handle, she croaks out a quiet “Stay.” 

And so I do. She has a shower and gets changed in the ensuite first, then comes out and I go in. when I come out again, she is already asleep on her bed. She looks peaceful when she sleeps. Then I suddenly become aware of how I tired I am. I sneak off, trying not to wake her. I fall into my bed, and my eyelids droop. It may have been an eventful day, but I can’t deny how tired I am. I fall asleep like a rock hitting the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry its been longer than i expected

I wake to the sound of Effie reminding us of the “Big, big, big day!” ahead of us. I shower and change into one of the other sets of clothes that was under the basin. I now wear khaki pants and a button up checked shirt. I put on an olive green jacket that feels like my hunting jacket. It feels like home.  
I walk out to the living quarters and I am greeted by Haymitch and Effie sitting in silence, eating breakfast. Haymitch is sober, for once, and is buttering bread. 

Then I see the food. And am taken back by it all. Again.  
There are cups of a rich brown substance which smells like sugar, Crumpets, bread, jam, pancakes, waffles, coffee, rolls, bacon, eggs, cheese, beans in a red tomato sauce, and different jugs of fruit juice. The smell is overpowering. I sit down and pile my plate as high as I can. I’m extremely hungry, even after the magnificent dinner last night. Katniss comes in and piles her plate twice as high as mine, which is saying something. We are just tucking in when Haymitch starts pouring a clear liquid into his cup of coffee. Telling by the fumes, it’s a spirit of some kind. “So, any advice for us, you know, seeing as you’re our mentor?” I ask Haymitch. He chuckles.  
“Stay alive,” he says. He takes another swig from his cup.  
“Huh. I thought you were going to, you know, _help _us?” Katniss says. She starts munching on a hard-boiled egg, all the while glaring at Haymitch.   
“Well if you’re not going to help us, we’re just going to do it ourselves,” I stand up, “and you can’t do anything about it. Unless, of course, you _don’t _want to see two kids die?” My voice raises, until I’m shouting. “Suit yourself! But if you aren’t welcome back in the Hob after we _die_, because you did nothing to save us, fine! Don’t come crying to our families. Because they will just push you away, and close the door in your face. _That’s fine!_”   
I start to walk away.   
“Gale,” I hear Katniss say. I’m not going back to _him_. Haymitch is chuckling again. How much alcohol has he had? I go into my room and sit down on the bed. After about ten minutes I hear a knock, soft enough to be barely audible. I’m pretty sure it’s Effie so I ignore it. _Knock knock_. There it is again.   
Then “It’s me, Gale. Can I come in?” Of course it’s Katniss. I nod, then remember she can’t see me.  
“Yeah,” I reply. She comes in and sits next to me on the bed.  
“We’re going to be there soon. You need to lay off of him,” I start to interrupt, but she cuts me off. “Yes, I know he’s drunk. Yes, I know he’s being irksome. But think of how many years he has had to mentor kids, only to watch them die. It must be hell,” she says. I start to think about it. “If we want to win these games, we need to do what he says. He’s here to keep us alive, after all,” she explains, and I realise that she’s right again. “Now, come back out, we’re going to be there soon,” she looks at the clock above my bed.  
“Yeah, ok,” I say, getting up. Katniss looks surprised at my sudden attitude, but I really want her to win. I need good sponsors so I can appear strong. That way I can protect her. We walk back out, and my hand finds hers. We quickly break apart, but Haymitch still sees.  
“Look what we have here. That will be interesting. Yes… no, I’ll get into that after…” he mumbles. “When we get to the station, there will be cameras, rich citizens, the usual deal. There will be many people who are possible sponsors. When you walk off of this train, you must appear bored,” he looks at me, “and you must appear strong,” he looks at Katniss. We start to object, but he holds up his hand. “You are big enough to look bored, like you know that you’re going to win,” he explains.  
“What about me? Aren’t I strong enough already?” Katniss asks.  
“If you want any sponsors, sweetheart, you’re going to have fix the frown of yours. And that posture,” he says as he looks over her. He’s right – she has a tendency to duck her head whenever she makes eye contact with someone.  
“Fine.” Katniss relents, and she turns to look at me. “I want you to promise, right here, right now, before we go out into the arena-“   
“We’re not going into the arena until the end of next week, Katniss,” I cut her off.  
“No, the arena starts at the train station. This whole place is the beginning of the games! Before we stop, I want you to promise that, whatever happens, you will _always_ be there for me. I don’t want you to turn into one of those relentless killing machines. Promise me,” Katniss finally finishes, gripping my arms like vices. Her eyes are boring into mine.  
“I promise. I swear on Posy’s and Rory’s and Vick’s and my mother’s lives. I promise,” I say, looking just as meaningfully into her eyes as she is mine. She lets go of my arms as we pull into the station. Haymitch meanders over to the door as the train slows. He doesn’t seem to notice how Katniss was just holding onto me like her life depended on it. Thank god, or we would have had a rebellion on our hands.  
“Now, you stand over there, and draw yourself up to your full height. There we go.” He directs Katniss over towards the train door. He walks over to me, swaying slightly. I thought he would have gotten himself organised in time for the cameras, but apparently not. “Okay, now stand slightly behind her, but not so much that you’re hidden. And look down, or pick at your nails so you look as bored as possible.” I position myself where he said, then rest my elbow on Katniss shoulder, and start picking at my nails.  
“What are you doing?” Katniss looks at me, amused.  
“I thought that if I put my arm on your shoulder, when the doors open, you could push my arm away to look stronger. And I’ll just look at you like I don’t care. Works for everyone,” I explain.   
“Okay, Gale. You do that,” she says, giggling. Suddenly the train doors start to open, and we position ourselves. Katniss pushes my arm away as promised, and I barely look up. And suddenly, the ends of our lives begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yee


End file.
